CPAC: Fred Thompson and Persecuted

posted at 2:01 pm on March 9, 2014 by Ed Morrissey

I did quite a few interviews at CPAC 2014 this year, which will be rolling out over the next couple of days; it took a long time to upload the video files, and a couple still need some editing. They were all fun, but it’s tough to top talking with former Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) for any reason — but especially about films and politics. Thompson came to CPAC to promote his latest film, Persecuted, which deals with the encroachment of the state on religions expression. We talked about the film, the cast, and the prescience of the script in terms of HHS contraception mandates and the effort to get the state to force participation in same-sex weddings. The script was written five years ago, as we discuss:

The actor and former GOP presidential candidate’s independent film about “censoring religious speech” has conservative confab CPAC buzzing.

Regal Entertainment said Friday it has booked for a May 9 release a political thriller called Persecuted that explores politically timely topics like religious freedom, government surveillance and censorship. …

Persecuted stars James Remar as a televangelist who is framed for murder after he refuses to support a popular wave of religious reform in the U.S. The film also stars Dean Stockwell, Raoul Trujillo and Bruce Davison.

Despite very little marketing thus far, the movie’s trailer was recently No. 1 on the iTunes “most popular” list, a feat insiders attribute to a robust Facebook page and the ripped-from-the headlines themes that the movie explores.

The trailer begins with real-life Fox News Channel personality Gretchen Carlson, who plays a news anchor in the film, informing the televangelist that, “There are those who claim that your ministry is intolerant.” The trailer ends with another character asking: “If you take away a man’s right to speak his mind in a country founded on that very principle, you don’t really have a country, now, do you?”

I have to admit, I was sorely tempted to talk to Thompson about the situation in Ukraine. Not so much because Thompson would have special expertise on the situation, although he’s certainly been good on foreign policy over the years, but just so I could ask him whether Russia had a plan before entering Ukraine. Getting him on video saying, “Russians don’t take a dump, son, without a plan,” would have been awesome. Alas, that moment was not meant to be. Instead, Thompson delivered a soon-to-be classic line: “Real progress is good. It’s Progressives you have to watch out for.”

Here’s the trailer, which has been popular on iTunes. Keep an eye out for this film when it opens.

According to the report cited above, Indian officials have told Telegraph India that, in the newspaper’s words, Delhi is “convinced that the West’s tacit support for a series of attempted coups against democratically elected governments — in Egypt, Thailand and now Ukraine — has only weakened democratic roots in these countries.”

…Fred bowed out of the race…not once…but twice!
…the first time…he took a long shit……..and we ended up with Senator Senile…and the second time…he was gone before he even farted!
…I like him…but I didn’t need him being an entertainer… when it came to the presidential race…it wasn’t a film!

And, btw, Darth, you may not be aware that a “reverse mortgage” is where they pay you. You aren’t taking out a new mortgage on your paid-off home. You are, in essence, selling your house but getting to continue living there; and getting paid for the home.
I’ve considered doing that, too, since I have no family to leave a house to.

Now, why would you call everybody who works in advertising whores? That seems a bit overboard.

Solaratov on March 9, 2014 at 3:13 PM

I’m being overboard? I didn’t use the “everyone” line – you said:

Because everyone who appears in a commercial does so because they believe fervently in whatever product they are paid to promote.

Solaratov on March 9, 2014 at 2:33 PM

There’s a huge difference in taking money to promote something you believe in, and taking money to promote something you don’t believe in.

Either Fred Thompson believes old people should take out equity loans against their paid-off property (which is what reverse mortgages are: the companies can foreclose on the property when the borrower dies) or he doesn’t really care where his paychecks come from.

Work on your debating skills. It’s a little more difficult when you can’t erase your previous arguments.

I saw the film a couple of weeks ago at a screening in Westwood. It’s got a tight script, a strong cast, and terrific production values.

Unfortunately, however, it is yet another victim of the right’s unwillingness to put its money where its mouth is in terms of producing the types of motion pictures we want to see. The result is the atrocious “American Carol,” the utter waste of potential that is Aglialoro’s “Atlas Shrugged” franchise, and “Persecuted,” an exciting project that truly would’ve benefited from a few million more dollars in it’s above-the-line budget.

For example, One Media, the production company and sole distributor of the film, had to be formed after producers Daniel Lusko and James Higgins lacked either the ability or creativity to raise the type of money necessary to make the kind of feature that would’ve commanded the attention of any established distributor. Hence, it’s going to be a very limited opening, and isn’t likely to have legs any stronger than those of “Atlas.”

At the risk of opening a can of worms here (and possibly going OT), while it is indeed difficult being either a conservative and/or principled libertarian filmmaker in this town, what is oftentimes even more difficult is the utter silence I get from those who constantly scream about how they’d support conservative films, “if only someone would MAKE them!” I can tell you, unequivocally, that most of these same people are completely full of sh*t. While they may indeed morally support the idea of conservative filmmakers, they lack the courage of that particular conviction, where investors on the left clearly do not.

If the Koch Brothers, et al. were really interested in effecting change, perhaps they might start by reading a few scripts. God knows, we could sure use the help.

That said, I’ll buy a couple of tickets for “Persecuted,” and buy the DVD when it comes out, just like I’ve done for every other project like it. After all, somebody should support these filmmakers, even if all I can afford is the $12.50 for the ticket.

Excellent point! I’ve argued the same thing for quite a while now. It is significant that wealthy conservatives are stepping it up in the direct political theater, with the 501s and individual contributions, but if they could also do so more forcibly in the “cultural” theater (movies, television series, etc.), long term change for the better could be more quickly effectuated.

Too bad, clown. You’re the one acting like anybody who’s paid to do a commercial is a whore.

Newsflash for you…it’s a job!! Fred – like hundreds of thousands of other people – gets paid to advertise something. Just because someone is paid to do a job does not mean that they believe in whatever the product may be. It means that the advertisers’ checks don’t bounce.

That said, I’ll buy a couple of tickets for “Persecuted,” and buy the DVD when it comes out, just like I’ve done for every other project like it. After all, somebody should support these filmmakers, even if all I can afford is the $12.50 for the ticket.

Eric in Hollywood on March 9, 2014 at 6:41 PM

In the end, that’s pretty much all that any of us out here can do to support them.

(Maybe someone should start sending scripts to the Koch Bros. You never can tell…;-) )

(Maybe someone should start sending scripts to the Koch Bros. You never can tell…;-) )

Solaratov on March 9, 2014 at 8:37 PM

Don’t think it hasn’t been considered.

I seem to recall reading something a few years ago – an anecdote about how the Koch companies have a presence in so many things in the lives of Americans; from the toilet paper we use in the morning, to the disposable cups Teh iWon sips his coffee out of on Air Force One.

To be that invested in this country, and so dedicated to the restoration of individual liberty and constitutional protections, yet to completely ignore any opportunities to impact the nation culturally is so myopic as to be monumentally stupid.

If the persons and institutions on “our side of the aisle” best positioned to put their money where their mouths are continue to do nothing but thrown money at candidates -and scoff at the prospect of fighting the same good fight in Hollywood, where they would be free to spend as much as their opponents do- then they are defining insanity, and as such, have no business bitching about the results.

That said, I’ll buy a couple of tickets for “Persecuted,” and buy the DVD when it comes out, just like I’ve done for every other project like it. After all, somebody should support these filmmakers, even if all I can afford is the $12.50 for the ticket.

Eric in Hollywood on March 9, 2014 at 6:41 PM

Excellent point! I’ve argued the same thing for quite a while now. It is significant that wealthy conservatives are stepping it up in the direct political theater, with the 501s and individual contributions, but if they could also do so more forcibly in the “cultural” theater (movies, television series, etc.), long term change for the better could be more quickly effectuated.

Thanks for hanging in there, behind enemy lines as it were.

TXUS on March 9, 2014 at 7:25 PM

In the end, that’s pretty much all that any of us out here can do to support them.

(Maybe someone should start sending scripts to the Koch Bros. You never can tell…;-) )

Solaratov on March 9, 2014 at 8:37 PM

Kickstarter?

The power of the multitudes.
Maybe “pre-release” ticket sales, which is the way some books and videos are published, when they can’t get big-name firms behind them to start.

The power of the multitudes.
Maybe “pre-release” ticket sales, which is the way some books and videos are published, when they can’t get big-name firms behind them to start.

AesopFan on March 10, 2014 at 12:24 AM

Kickstarter and Indiegogo are wonderful sources of funding for movie projects, but realistically, only if you’re interested in making a truly independent feature. Meaning: less than $5 million. And, unless you’re a Zach Braff, you’re virtually guaranteed to end up with a film that only a niche market will ever see. Not because you haven’t made a good film, necessarily, but because potential investors on crowdfunding sites aren’t really interested in giving you money to increase your P&A (publicity and advertising – the wicked, albeit necessary stepchildren of movie budgets).

I don’t know what the budget was on “Persecuted,” but I’m willing to bet dollars to donuts that it was around $3-5 million. Its a respectable amount, to be sure, and is reflected in the film’s production values and casting. However, as much respect as I have for James Remar, Fred Thompson and Dean Stockwell, none of those actors have the box office draw to warrant release on any more than 300 or so screens nationwide.

Throw in Bruce Davison -an actor renowned for his willingness to accept just about any part in any picture, regardless of budget (and oftentimes, script)- and suddenly, your film takes a giant step closer to being released on DVD the same day it premieres. In other words, you’ve branded yourself low-budget before you’ve ever shot a single frame.

But look, Bruce is a wonderful and gifted actor, and his willingness to accept the parts he does speaks volumes about his dedication to indie filmmakers. The same can be said for Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, each of whom have increased exponentially the opportunities for indie filmmakers to get their product shown, regardless of how low-budget their movies are. I’ve seen some damn fine indies on Netflix, but you and I both know that that terrific little Civil War zombie movie shot in Canada with that one actor whose performance knocked your socks off isn’t going to be seen by enough people to be truly appreciated.

The point is, regardless of the quality of your script, it’s going to be very difficult to produce and market your $5 million movie simply on it’s own merits if you don’t have the financial heft to advertise it. I don’t care how many views the trailer gets on iTunes; if it isn’t being seen during a prime time commercial break, or before the main attraction in theaters, it simply isn’t going to be seen by as many people as you want or need it to. It may not be fair, but it’s the business.

Last thing, and then I’ll shut up…

One of my early mentors was Roger Corman’s line producer (the guy who actually writes the checks during a movie’s production). Back then, I wanted to be a director. An auteur, if you will. He very quickly dissuaded me from that path by making it very clear to me that very few people in Hollywood are interested in “art.” To be sure, preening actors and insufferable directors speak of movies reverentially, but the people who actually put their asses money on the line, the producers, they don’t give a fig about “art.”

No, the crusty old Brooklyn Jew told me, they’re in business to rent seats and sell candy and popcorn. Period. And at the end of the day, even the preening actors (whom he called “movable props”) and insufferable directors (for whom he had even less respect) know this, which is precisely why it is the producer alone who steps up to accept the award for Best Picture. It isn’t the actor or director who took a $10,000 script and turned it into a $15 million movie that earned $100 million worldwide – it was the producer, baby. #BOWDOWN, indeed, members of the Academy.

That said, we on the right can continue playing small ball, making yet more mediocrity by turning great scripts into low-budget movies that nobody other than us will go see, or we can become producers.

Me? I chose the latter a long time ago, and I’m putting my money and my life where my mouth is. Consequently, if anyone who purports to share my worldview wishes to dump on my industry by lamenting how shallow and liberal Hollywood is, and how unworthy of respect they find it all to be, go ahead and ask them for me to kindly have a Coke and a smile, shut up, and get the hell out of the way.

Keep in mind that the Koch brothers are libertarians, not conservatives. Thus, they probably wouldn’t be interested in investing in such a film, while conservatives would be. Problem is, I don’t know who all these wealthy conservatives are. Most of us donate to charities and such, and don’t rise to the levels of the Koch brothers or wealthy liberals.

Keep in mind that the Koch brothers are libertarians, not conservatives. Thus, they probably wouldn’t be interested in investing in such a film, while conservatives would be. Problem is, I don’t know who all these wealthy conservatives are. Most of us donate to charities and such, and don’t rise to the levels of the Koch brothers or wealthy liberals.

dominigan on March 10, 2014 at 11:38 AM

Whether they’re libertarians or conservatives is irrelevant if intrusions upon personal freedoms and constitutional liberties are the message.

As for the Koch’s particular wealth in relation to movie financing, I wasn’t speaking to those of us who aren’t able to simply write a check to cover five or six figures (or more) of a film budget. They aren’t the only ones in a position to do so.

, thank you. I’m not rich, but I’d donate a little if I knew these things were being produced, but we never hear about it until after the fact, like now. I wish they could get in touch with people like Rush and Glenn Beck, etc…first, maybe they’d part with some $, but they could solicit for funds. Seems like it would work to me anyway. Or do they try this and get nowhere?

If the persons and institutions on “our side of the aisle” best positioned to put their money where their mouths are continue to do nothing but thrown money at candidates -and scoff at the prospect of fighting the same good fight in Hollywood, where they would be free to spend as much as their opponents do- then they are defining insanity, and as such, have no business bitching about the results.

Eric in Hollywood on March 9, 2014 at 9:21 PM

I went to see the movie Bella at a showing where Eduardo Verastegui (who produced and acted in it) spoke. The thing I remember most about his talk was a quote by (I believe it was) Plato, but could have been another philosopher. Anyway, paraphrased, “if you want to change the world, you don’t go into politics; you go into the arts.” The arts and education are where we have lost the culture by handing it over to the immoral leftists without even a little fight. Shame on us.

I’ve considered doing that, too, since I have no family to leave a house to.

I went to see the movie Bella at a showing where Eduardo Verastegui (who produced and acted in it) spoke. The thing I remember most about his talk was a quote by (I believe it was) Plato, but could have been another philosopher. Anyway, paraphrased, “if you want to change the world, you don’t go into politics; you go into the arts.” The arts and education are where we have lost the culture by handing it over to the immoral leftists without even a little fight. Shame on us.

“If you want to change the world, you don’t go into politics; you go into the arts.”

The arts and education are where we have lost the culture by handing it over to the immoral leftists without even a little fight. Shame on us.

pannw on March 10, 2014 at 3:14 PM

First of all, God bless you, pannw, for finding that quote. I’ve thought of it often, but never remembered enough of it to be able to cite it effectively. Thanks for doing so here,

That said, I’ll go ahead and state here that I emailed Ed, as well as a dozen or so of his most influential colleagues, the development prospectus of our latest picture, a film based upon the NYT bestseller, “Benghazi: The Definitive Report.” We weren’t looking for money, because quite frankly, we don’t need it for this particular project. We’ve got a $20 million budget, and fortunately, do not need to rely upon the sycophants on the right to ensure our friggin trailer gets seen. We”re beyond that. We’re in the process -with a major studio- of making one of the most politically incendiary films ever made, and as such, don’t need to rely upon an aging presidential quitter to get the word out. Hillary and Co. will do that for us, thank you very much.

Rather, we were looking for nothing more than their simple opinion of the narrative we’re developing. We made it clear, in numerous emails, that all we were asking was a few moments of their time to read the prospectus, and give us their insights, in hopes of at least engaging their audience. Perhaps they may have been interested in keeping an eye out for this, given the grave importance of the upcoming presidential elections.

Guess how many responses we received?

Yeah, that many. Zero.

Meanwhile, Ed here would rather post a far-too-late article on a film nobody is going to see, because he probably had better things to do than to screen a conservative picture months ago, when perhaps his opinion may have meant something.

But no. Meeting Fred Thompson at CPAC? Yeah. That was important.

I swear, the only thing keeping me going in times like this is the notion that Ed and everyone else on the so-called “right blogosphere” is going to be crapping their collective pants once this thing gets released.

But alas, I find that no matter how strong the courage of my convictions, those who I always believed to be “in the know,” are little more inclined to intellectual curiosity than those on the left they’re paid to denigrate.

Ban me if you wish, Ms. Malkin, but at least I listened to Andrew, and actually did something more than start a website poking fun at idiotic leftist tweets.

While the full spectrum of the Right decides to have a civil war that results in crushing the candidacy of anyone with real conservative cred, we are left with the McCains, Romneys, and yes, Bushes of the GOP.

And you’re right back to doing the same thing.

Think clearly for one good long second, and Thompson in the Oval Office would have meant none of the stupidity of the last five years would have happened.

~ The Senate would have had to submit a budget each year, exposing their Leftist agenda

~ The U.S. would have actually supported our allies instead of undermining them all

~ Crony bailouts would not have happened

~ Syria would not have happened

~ Benghazi would not have happened

~ Keystone XL would be operational

~ Hundreds of billions in “Stimulus” money wouldn’t have gone down the solar/wind/biofuels drain

~ Offshore and land drilling would be happening, making the U.S. a far wealthier nation

Thank you and God bless you, too, Eric. I can only imagine your frustration, but I’m glad you are fighting the good fight. Sometimes I don’t know why any of us bother, but then I remember I have children. ;) So thank you again.

Freelancer on March 10, 2014 at 6:49 PM

Frustrating, isn’t it? I wish we could have a Conservatives primary and then go into the actual GOP primary with the strongest of the Conservatives to go up against the moderates.